Quoth the Raven

by midworld1999

Tales

Lower your guns even if love has turned to spite. We may find the enemy waiting inside.

---

The train ride to Baltimare was tedious, but relatively peaceful. This was primarily due to the fact that Celestia had commandeered a private car so that the Elements could discuss the challenge at hoof without curious ears listening in. But for the most part, what the mares had to say probably wouldn't have endangered the mission in the slightest.

Rarity and Fluttershy were talking about the new Captain of the Guard, hardly a classified topic. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were discussing the equally trivial topic of what kind of pie would best compliment Pinkie's new ice cream flavor. Rainbow Dash was daydreaming by a window, her face pressed up against the glass, observing the passing landscape in boredom.

Twilight was digging into new reading material that Celestia had lent her to help them face whatever lie ahead. Well, new probably wasn't the right word. In fact, the tomes were ancient, at least several centuries old and falling apart at even the most gossamer touch. Twilight had to keep the books carefully aloft with her magic or else risk damaging them. Once she was finished with a book, she would levitate it cautiously into her saddlebag, which protected its contents with a shock absorption spell.

Twilight was currently scanning the table of contents of a tome concerning the Griffo-Equine War, hoping to find something useful. Near the bottom of the table, she found a poem whose title rang a bell: "The Scourge of Glaciostel". One of the Raven's many titles. Twilight flipped to the page and began to read. The poem wasn't long, but by the time she was finished she had begun to feel queasy.

"Heya Twi!"

Twilight almost jumped out of her skin. Then she realized it was just Rainbow, and quickly composed herself.

"Sheesh Twi, why're you so jumpy? Readin' a scary book or somethin'?"

"Kinda," Twilight replied, a slight waver in her voice.

"Ooh, is it that one about the clown in the sewers? I've been meaning to get to that one, but--"

"No Rainbow," Twilight cut her off. "But I can get that for you if we get back to Ponyville. I was reading one of those books Celestia gave me."

"When."

"What?"

"You meant when we get back to Ponyville. Not if."

"Oh, right. Yeah, that's what I meant. Of course!"

Rainbow frowned in concerned. "Let me see what you're reading."

Twilight reluctantly levitated the book in front of Rainbow. She watched as Rainbow's lips silently formed the words, saw her eyes begin to widen. Before an expression of terror could completely engulf her face she managed to regain control, putting on a face of indifference. But Twilight had seen.

"Eh, he doesn't sound so tough. I don't know what's got you so worried Twilight. I could kick this guy's flank easy, and with the Elements of Harmony we'll kick it twice as hard."

Twilight bit her lip. "Rainbow, we can't count on the Elements working! After all, they're what freed him in the first place. If they don't work, we're going to be in serious trouble. I might be able to make a shield with my magic, but there's no guarantee. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm scared. Anypony would be freaked out if they were in our situation."

Dash sighed. "Okay, maybe that poem did put me a little on edge, I'll give you that much. But I still think I could kick his flank!"

"For all of our sakes, I hope you're right Rainbow. I mean, the Princess wouldn't send us against something she didn't think we could handle."

Rainbow smiled. "You're probably right." She stretched her back. "Well, I'm gonna get a few hours shuteye. Gotta be alert once our job starts, right?"

She trotted back over to her previous spot, laying down across the two seats, leaving Twilight alone to her work.

---

As Twilight poured over one of last texts the train finally came to a screeching stop. She heard a muffled "Umph" as Rainbow tumbled off of her seat from the sudden halt. She couldn't help but giggle a bit. Now that the anticipation was over she felt lighter, more confident in their mission. They'd find that Raven and make him sorry for showing his face again!

As she followed her friends off the train she heard Rarity give yelp. Suddenly fearing the worst, Twilight rushed to her aid.

"Rarity, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?! Just look at this place! It's filthy! Oh my! Garbage on the floor, which by the way, doesn't look like it's seen a coat of wax in years! Disgusting!"

Although Twilight was a bit annoyed by Rarity's dramatic outburst, she had to agree with her analysis. The place looked like a glorified landfill. Stray cans and bags littered the floor, dirt and grit layered the walkways, and it looked from the excrement on the ground as though several birds had made a home in the rafters. Twilight wondered how ponies could treat public property like this, leave everything in such a mess.

Applejack saved her from having to reply. "Rarity, while I'll admit that the place is a bit untidy, that's downright rude of ya to say! T'ain't proper to just insult somepony's home, especially so quickly and so... meanly."

Rarity huffed. "I suppose you're right, but I'm going to have a word with the Princess when we get back. This station is quite simply unhygienic, and it really ought to be cleaned. I do hope the rest of city isn't like this!"

As soon as they stepped outside, Rarity's fears were confirmed. Everywhere they looked, the city was just as dirty, if not dirtier, than the station they'd just left. The buildings were drab and grey, a far cry from the architectural wonders of Canterlot. The whole place had a utilitarian undertone. Each building, slab of concrete, and shop had been built to serve a function, not to look pretty. In addition, the ponies roaming the streets appeared to be less than friendly. Everypony they passed seemed to have a permanent frown glued to their face.

"Why do all these ponies look sad, Twilight?" asked Pinkie.

"I don't know Pinkie. It could be the planet's energy fluctuations that we're here to stop, but I doubt it. It seems to me that the city has been like this well before the Raven showed up," Twilight answered.

"Hmm... Oh, I know! I should throw them a party! That'll cheer everypony up and turn those frowns upside-down! Just a sec girls, I'll go find a party store!"

Rainbow Dash grabbed Pinkie by the tail before she could get away. "Sorry Pinks, but we got a job a to here. Besides, these ponies don't exactly look like the partying type."

"But Dashie, everypony likes to par--"

"'Ey, did somepony say party?"

"Yes!" Pinkie replied instantly.

A group of three stallions were calling to them from across the street. Twilight instinctively disliked the look of them. They wore smiles that seemed to stretch their features into a caricature of feigned friendliness. Their manes were slicked with grease. Twilight frowned at these newcomers.

"Ya, I know real good place to party!" said the lead stallion. "Come back to my place, I have perfect place to party! We show choo real good time. Lots of fun for everypony! Whachoo say?"

"Thanks for the offer, but we-" Twilight began.

"Oy! Shaddup nag, I wasn't talking to choo!" snapped the stallion. His friends snickered. He turned his attention back to Pinkie. "Sorry, she not invited. But choo and and your color friend should stop by. We get real crazy, have lots of fun! Get down and dirty! Let's go!"

Pinkie's enthusiasm halted dramatically. "Hey you big bullies, you can't talk to my friends like that! I don't care how fun your party is! You can count me out."

"Aww, thees nag has some fight in her! Come on over here and I show choo good time!"

"And I said I'm not coming! So you can can put an egg in your horseshoe and leaf!"

"Listen nag--"

"SCRAM!!"

"Pfft, come on guys, there's 'nuffin to do here. Let's go."

"That's right!" screamed Pinkie after them. "Wow, what a bunch of... what?"

Pinkie's friends stared at her in amazement. Dash was the one who finally broke the silence.

"That... was... awesome! Dang Pinkie, I didn't know you had it in you! Nicely handled girl!"

"Yeah Pinkie, thanks for sticking up for me."

"Yes, quite a job well done, darling."

"Woo hoo."

"Ya can say that again."

Pinkie grinned. "Thanks you guys! But really, now I just want to get out of here as soon as we can. Let's just get started looking for Birdy McMeaniebritches so we can leaf too."

---

Finding the Raven turned out to be easier said than done. Twilight's magic could detect the energy fluctuations quite easily. Tracing the source was another story. She couldn't seem to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from; scratch that, she could tell where it was coming from, but it didn't make any sense. The fluctuations seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. Twilight wasn't sure if her magic was being deliberately tampered with or if there was something critical about the nature of the fluctuations that was escaping her.

As Twilight tried to remain patient in her efforts, her companions attempted to stave off boredom. While they followed Twilight around the city there was nothing to really do. There were no sights to see or attractions to visit and they couldn't help her with her magic. They couldn't talk either, because she needed to concentrate. By four o'clock, Rainbow had had enough.

"Twi, you've been at that for hours. Why don't we take a break? Look, there's a restaurant up ahead, let's go catch a bite."

Part of Twilight wanted to keep searching, but her logical mind told her that taking a break was probably a good idea. "Yeah, you're probably right. I could use a break, and I'm sure you all could too. Besides, I haven't eaten since this morning."

They settled on one of the less dingy looking restaurants called The Dixie Sprig. While her friends looked over the menu, Twilight slipped into the mares room.

Even the restrooms of this city seemed trashier than usual, a remarkable feat considering the state of most public facilities. Yellow and brown stains covered the floors, but more surprisingly the walls and even the ceiling. Were they even aiming at the toilet? In addition, graffiti adorned the wall, ghetto prophets like Bango Skank and Backstreet Bucker leaving cryptic messages.

She picked a stall, closed the door, and sat down. It was a good thing she was sitting on a toilet, because she almost pissed herself when she saw the door. Amid the usual stall graffiti, in towering, yet neat, letters, read a message. "TWILIGHT, OPEN YOUR SADDLEBAG." She felt her skin crawl.

As if in a trance, Twilight did as the note suggested. At first she allowed herself a sigh of relief; there was nothing new in the bag. Then she felt it, a scrap of paper. Twilight was organized and never left stray papers in her bag, always in a tidy little notebook. Twilight swallowed and removed the scrap.

It was heavier than she expected, and she soon found why. A piece of glinting black stone had been attached to the paper with a short length of string. The stone was shaped like a musical note.

Twilight returned her attention to the scrap, and found, as part of her had expected, another message. This one read, in the same hoof-writing, "Odd Lane Sematary. Lenore." She reflexively wrinkled her nose at the misspelling. Despite the error, the message was clear. Odd Lane "Sematary". That's where they needed to go. She could figure out the Lenore part later.

Before leaving, she wiped the stall message with her magic and hid the note back in her saddlebag. She hurried out of the restroom, her previously urgent "nose powdering" forgotten. She rushed over to her friends.

"Welcome back Twilight," said Rarity. "We saved you a seat, and as soon as you're ready to order--"

"Sorry girls, we're gonna need to postpone this meal." She lowered her voice. "I foun-- received a clue."

The smiles on her friends' faces disappeared, and after a brief explanation they moved on.

---

"Twilight, I'm not so sure about this. It could be a trap! Heck, it probably is one!" Rainbow exclaimed as they neared their destination. They'd found Odd Lane without too much trouble and were trotting down it now.

"Yeah," whispered Fluttershy in agreement. "Graveyards are scary. Maybe you should just keep searching for the Raven with your magic."

"Girls, I understand your concerns, but I really think this is the best course of action. If we want to keep this secret, we should stop it as quickly as possible. Not mention it's the only lead we have. Trap or not, this seems to be our only option."

"Are you sure you can't just find a different way to reach him," ventured Rarity. "Perhaps--"

"I don't think so," Twilight interrupted. "Honestly, I'm impressed the Princess was able to narrow down his location this far! Since trying to tap into it when we got here, I've had pretty much zero success. I know the choice seems dire, but-- ahh, we're here."

Now Twilight saw why the note had been misspelled. The actual sign above the entrance to the boneyard read "Sematary." The yard itself was strangely tranquil, and even seemed peaceful, not at all the ominous place Twilight had been expecting. Even Fluttershy seemed to have put her fears put to rest for the moment. Twilight turned to her fellow bearers.

"Girls, it's time to put on the Elements. I don't think we can afford to not wear them." She magically removed them from her bag and bestowed them onto each corresponding friend. Upon finding their mark they disappeared.

"Woah, what happened?" inquired Pinkie.

"Don't worry, I only cloaked them. Just an extra precaution to make sure nopony sees and panics," explained Twilight.

Now that they had arrived at the graveyard, Twilight turned her mind to the second part of the message; "Lenore." Twilight had no recollection of the word, but it sounded sort of like a name. If you assumed that, the next connection was obvious.

"Okay, lets have a look around for a grave with 'Lenore' written on it. And stay together. We don't want to be separated."

They shuffled awkwardly around as a group, each member scanning the headstones for the strange name. It didn't take long for Applejack to spot it.

The grave was ancient, certainly several hundred if not over a thousand years old. Twilight mentally noted that this was completely possible considering the city's age. Assuming this, it was amazing that the inscription was still legible. "Lenore" was written in beautiful calligraphy, and beneath the name was a short, incoherent couplet.

Her music played for Nevermore

A jar stood the Unfound Door.

Beneath the poem was a small indentation of the same shape and size of the totem Twilight had discovered earlier. "Girls, be ready for something to happen," Twilight said, not realizing she was whispering. The mares tensed as they waited with rising discomfort for Twilight to slide the talisman into the slot. Twilight lifted the stone with her magic and held it up to the slot. She didn't even need to move the note forward; it snapped into place like a magnet.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. But slowly, the note began to glow as if it was a cinder that was cooling off in reverse, slowly gaining luminescence until the symbol almost seemed to blaze in front of them. Then came the music, a strange melody alien to their ears. A somber tune of which the lyrics were incomprehensible due to its volume, barely a whisper in the now failing day. Before they could give this much thought, light streaked from the burning symbol, splitting the hallow earth with a staircase.

The staircase did not actually seem to appear; it was more like the earth around it disappeared, leaving only a neat metal stairway for the ponies to follow.

Fluttershy, who had been hiding behind Applejack, squeaked in terror. "Duh-do we ha-have to g-go down there?"

Twilight nodded. Fluttershy moaned.

"Twi, I think I'm with Flutters on this one. Underground isn't really my thing," Rainbow interjected. "You know, pegasus and all."

"Besides," added Applejack. "Now this, this here is clearly a trap."

A pained expression formed on Twilight's face. She knew her friends were right, but they would have to go down there eventually. "I can't think of a situation where we could have an advantage down there, girls. We need to go at some point, and it may as well be now, before his plan accelerates any further."

Twilight lit her horn and walked into the newly formed chasm, trying to display more confidence than she felt. Her friends reluctantly followed. After going down about twenty hooves the entrance sealed itself. Fluttershy let out a brief shriek before catching herself. She wasn't the only one of them startled though. All six of them were shaken.

Twilight mustered up her voice. "Well, nowhere to go but down."

And they began their descent. The silence seemed palpable. The world was cruelly limited to all they could see from Twilight's steady light. Rainbow glanced nervously at the steel, seamless walls and ceiling currently bathed in purple magic, uncomfortably aware of the confining flight space. She instinctively stretched her wings.

After three minutes of constant decline, the stairway leveled into a hallway, which proved to be much shorter. At its end, the girls met an open expanse of unknown size. In response, Twilight cranked up the power of her light, illuminating the entire room. They all gasped.

The girls beheld a room of impossible size, seeming to stretch onward into infinity, carved into brutal rock in contrast to the hallway and stairs. But this only held part of their attention. The rest was fixed on what the room contained. Dusty machines, wires, and lifeless screens populated the cavern, seeming to cover nine tenths of the floor. In the background was a hardly audible hum, just loud enough for the girls to notice it.

Without warning Pinkie began to speak, as if in a trance. "All is silent in the halls of the dead. All is forgotten in the stone halls of the dead. Behold the stairways which stand in darkness; behold the rooms of ruin. These are the halls of the dead where the spiders spin and the great circuits fall silent, one by one."

Her friends stared at her in petrified awe. After a few moments, Pinkie came to her senses, just as confused and frightened as the rest of them.

Rainbow Dash flailed to diffuse the tension. "Umm, hey Twilight? This place is, uh, huge, and full of... umm... stuff. H-how do you think the Raven made it all so quickly?"

"I did not create this place or build these machines," uttered a disembodied voice.

They all froze. The voice, in its sudden appearance, had the effect of rendering them all immobile, unable to move or look around for fear of what they would find. This time Twilight recovered first.

"Show yourself, Raven! We've come here to stop you! You're not going to do anymore harm to Equestria or Luna!"

After a brief silence came the reply. "Very well. But please, don't call me the 'Raven'. I suppose that's what Celestia called me. After all these years, it seems she's forgotten my displeasure for that title. If you would be so kind, call me Nevermore. But enough of that; let us palaver."

A shadow appeared at the peak of one of the monolithic machines. Instead of flying down, as Twilight had expected, it hopped down from machine to machine. The silhouette's movements were fluid, almost feminine in their grace. If not for the voice accompanying the figure, Twilight might have mistaken him for a her. After a few moments, the creature reached the ground, still hidden by the shadows of the colossal devices behind him. He stepped forward.

His appearance was nothing like any of them were expecting. All of the villains they had faced so far were ominously sized demigods towering over them much like Princess Celestia did. They had all exuded power, seemed to be have an excess of it to the point of gluttony. In addition, all of these menaces had had a sort of implied immortality about them, as if they had existed and would exist forever in some form or another. The figure before them embodied none of these traits.

The Raven's stature was humble, not even the size of the average pony. In fact, he was slightly smaller than Fluttershy, the shortest of their group. He did not seem to have any particular sense of power about him. He had nothing to signify authority; no magical aura surrounding him, nothing but a dull ebony layer of feathers that that gave way to similarly colored fur. Twilight couldn't sense any magic on him at all. But his age was by far the most surprising. Based on his appearance, he couldn't have been older than any of the mares present. He definitely did not look like a millennium year old mage bent on Equestria's destruction.

But despite his many unremarkable features, one in particular stood out. His eyes. Orange eyes that seemed ancient, full of terrible experience. The eyes conveyed immense sadness, but also alluded to a fundamental deadliness. Yet she knew as the Raven gazed at them, with a small, genuine looking smile on his face, that she and her friends were in no immediate danger. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted before he could do so.

Rainbow Dash had been trying to hold back laughter, but the dam finally broke and it flowed out. "Pfffftt.... Hahahaha!"

Her friends gasped at her reaction. She had just blatantly laughed at the (perhaps deceptively) powerful vagabond whose primary purpose was their deaths. Was she crazy?

But the Raven just raised an eyebrow in amusement. Once the chuckles had begun to die down, he spoke. "Inside joke?" he inquired.

Rainbow got a hold of herself enough to reply. "Heh heh, no, not really. It's just, you're a pipsqueak. We were all freaking out back in those tunnels, and it turns out beating you is going to be a peace of cake. I could kick your shrimpy flank by myself!"

"Overconfidence is a rather unbecoming trait Ms. Dash. Thankfully, I'm willing to overlook such trivial quirks; I have quite a few myself. And besides, I owe you all debt of gratitude. Without your interference, I would still be a mindless bird and my master would still be corrupted."

"Wait," said Applejack. "I thought ya turned Luna into Nightmare Moon. What the hay are ya talkin' about?"

"A justified misconception. You see–"

"Don't listen to him Applejack!" injected Twilight. "He's trying to trick you."

"Yeah Applejack, he's just trying to trick you!" said Rainbow. "I'll teach him to lie to our faces!" Her wings snapped out, and before any of her friends could protest she flashed forward, hoping to catch the Raven off guard and take him down.

The fight was over within seconds.

The Raven didn't register any surprise at Rainbow's charge. Instead, he sidestepped it, no simple feat considering Rainbow's speed. As she passed, he lightly tapped her forward hoof. At such a fast pace, even a small change in angle could be disastrous. Rainbow slammed into one of the machines with an audible crackle, followed by a string of pained curses.

"AHHH! FFFF-SHHEEIIITTT!! My wing! Augh..."

Rainbow quickly got control over herself, no easy effort with a compound fracture and a concussion. She tried unsuccessfully to get to her hooves. She somehow managed to calm herself, but got worked up again upon seeing the Raven approach her. She spared a glance at her friends, and saw that they were all too petrified to move. The hippogriff was upon her.

But he once again betrayed their expectations.

The Raven gave a soft sigh. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Ms. Dash, but please understand that I needed to defend myself. Hopefully this will discourage further brutish behavior." He then raised his clawed foreleg to her wing.

Rainbow tensed, ready for serious pain, or even death. Instead, she felt a euphoric sensation on her wing. She looked back and almost puked. Her bones, tendon, cartilage, muscle, even blood and feathers, were floating back into place. While the sensation felt amazing, the effect was disturbing to look at to say the least.

She turned her attention to the Raven and saw him holding a tender claw over her injury, a symbol glowing white on his palm. Her stomach settled. The symbol's light flowed like water. The curving, intricate design branded upon the beast before her somehow conveyed a sense of peace and comfort.

After a few moments the light dimmed. Rainbow slunk from under the Raven to join her friends, her face burning.

"I apologize for such a violent introduction. Understand that while I have no wish to harm you, Ms. Sparkle, or your friends, I will defend myself if it becomes necessary. And believe me when I say you have no hope of winning such a battle." The Raven's tone was smooth and calm. "Now, if you would be so kind–"

While he spoke, Twilight had arranged her friends into formation. "Alright girls, now we work together! Use the Elements!"

The Raven's gaze snapped to Twilight Sparkle, a flicker of amusement and irritation in his expression. The mares rose into the air as their respective Elements became visible and manifested, before finally coming together in a chromatic wave. The wave thundered towards their adversary, who had made no move to avoid it. It washed over him, bathed him in it's purifying light. It became too bright to see.

When the light broke, the girls collectively gasped. Nothing had happened. The Elements had had all the effect of a fancy light show, its main consequence being that their enemy's eyes needed to adjust. "H-how!? Why didn't the Elements work?" stammered Twilight.

A tone of mild annoyance crept into the Raven's voice. "Oh come on Ms. Sparkle, she told me you were smarter than this! Think! Why wouldn't the Elements have worked? The answer should have been obvious once Celestia told you that the Elements freed me!"

Twilight maintained her confused expression.

The Raven sighed. "I'm disappointed Ms. Sparkle." And he really did sound disappointed, like Celestia after the Smarty Pants incident. Not overtly angry, just saddened by her failure. Hearing that tone in his voice enraged her.

"Oh yeah!? How do we know you didn't curse the Elements, or somehow used runes to make yourself immune to them? Huh?"

"Ms. Sparkle, you can tell as well as I can that there is no alternative magic at work here. I suppose if you cannot face the music, cannot see what is staring you face, I will tell you. The Elements of Harmony did not effect me because I am harmonious. I am at peace with myself and the world. The Elements have no effect on something that is already in a peaceful, beneficial state."

Twilight's anger evaporated, replaced with realization dawning on her face. Her friends could tell from the look on her face that she was thinking, analyzing his conclusion from every possible angle, trying to poke a hole in his statement. After a minute Twilight gave in. "How could I have missed it? The answer makes perfect sense, but how is possible? The Princess said–"

"I am afraid Celestia was mistaken, although through no fault of her own. You need not worry; I have no intention of harming Equestria. As matter of fact, I intend to leave it, and save it if I can. Now, if you would all calmly follow me, we shall palaver over a meal I have prepared for us."

The mares looked to their leader for guidance. Twilight just shook her head. With the reflexes he had displayed with Rainbow, it looked as though her magic would be just as easily avoided and countered. She didn't want test the idea. "Girls, I'm afraid without the Elements, we don't have a prayer of stopping him. That was our trump card, and it's gone. We'll just have to see what he really intends, for good or ill."

The unwilling guests followed their host through corridors of steel, dead light bulbs, keyboards of buttons with incomprehensible letters, switches, and dark screens. The Raven seemed to have the labyrinth memorized, never hesitating and moving ever forward. Eventually they reached their destination, a nook about an acre square. Unlike the rest of maze, the consoles here blinked and whirred, the low hum they'd heard earlier now permeating the complex. At the far end of the yard was a group of six short pedestals, each with a thick wire trailing to a rectangular frame.

Her curiosity temporarily overpowering her anger and fear, Twilight ventured a question. "How did you build all of this? I've never seen machines this complex before. Do they use magical forces to run, or draw on runes, or–"

"No, I didn't create these machines. I found them here, in this laboratory. When I arrived, they were not in the condition they are now. I'm honestly only a glorified repairpony in regard to these technological behemoths. I understood enough about them to get them up and running, and tweak them a bit, but that's about it. As for where they draw their energy, you and your group will find out soon enough."

"What's your cutie mark mean?" asked Pinkie.

Twilight turned her attention to the Raven's equine flank. It was a curved outline of something. "A feather?" she guessed.

"Close. Very close. A knife," he replied.

Twilight opened her mouth to ask another question, but was stopped before she could speak. "I will answer any questions you do or do not wish to know the answer to over our palaver. Come."

He led them to a circular table off to one side of the yard. In its center was a stack of daisy sandwiches. The Raven gestured to the pile. "Pick one." Pinkie Pie instantly grabbed one from the pile. Before she could stuff into her mouth, the Raven snatched it out of her hoof and swallowed it in one bite.

"Hey, what was that for? You said 'Pick one.'" exclaimed Pinkie.

"Simply to display I did not poison the popkins, Ms Pie. I allowed you to pick one randomly so that I could not have positioned one for me specifically to eat."

Understanding snapped onto Pinkie's face. "Okay then! But call me Pinkie. 'Ms. Pie' sounds weird."

"Very well Pinkie. Everypony please have a seat and dig in." Everypony sat and, reassured that the sandwiches were safe, dug in. They had been forced to skip their meal at The Dixie Sprig and all of them were famished. While they ate, their insistent host began to speak.

"Now, I am well aware that I have given none of you any reasons to trust me. As a matter of fact, you have a very good reason not to trust me. I assume Celestia told you that I brought about Luna's corrupted form, Nightmare Moon."

The mares nodded, unsure of where he going.

"While I do not deny that I committed various atrocities throughout my life, I do not take responsibility for my Mistress's fall from grace. I do not expect you immediately believe me. Nonetheless, it is necessary for my plans that you do believe me."

"If you think that we're gonna help you, you're nuts!" said Rainbow. Her friends nodded in affirmation.

"You are absolutely right. I would have to be insane to think that you help me on my hazy endeavors. That is why I intend to explain my situation to you as best I can. I urge you to observe as best you can the tales you are about to be shown. They are my own, and I hold them very precious to me. My life will be an open book before you. I only ask that you respect what you see. Also, be aware that nothing you observe here can harm you. They are nothing but the illustrations of an age old tragedy."

"What do you mean observe?" asked Twilight. "And why do you have to tell us your whole life story? Wouldn't it make more sense to just explain what you want?"

"Ms. Sparkle, would you believe anything I told you? Or would any of your friends?"

The mares shared a glance of confirmation to his question.

"I thought so. That's why I cannot simply tell you my past. I must show you in a medium without lies, or at least without intentional lies: memories."

Applejack spoke up. "Wait just a sec. How in tarnation are ya goin' to show us yer memories?"

"With the machines around around you. What used to be a holographic security system, which displayed your worst fears by analyzing memories, I have modified to show any memories that I wish. The holograms used to be able to manifest physically as well, but I disabled that feature."

Before Twilight could ask about the holograms, the Raven continued. "As for what I am doing and why, my reasons are derived from several moments in my past, which in addition were built off of earlier events. Delivering my whole story would be just as concise as explaining my reasons, not to mention more coherent.

Twilight put her hoof to chin in thought. After a few moments, she spoke. "Girls, I can't see any way out of this but his way. I think we're just going to have to go along with him. But my opinion isn't the only one that matters. What do you all think?"

"Honestly darling, I don't see another way either."

"I suppose we could give it a shot. And I should be able to tell if'n he's lying."

"I like stories, even if they are about bad guys. What have we got to lose? You know, other than our lives, Equestria's freedom, possibly Luna's sanity–"

"I don't like this Twi. But if you're all for it, I guess I'll stick by that."

"Umm, I think it would be okay to give him a chance at least. He hasn't actually done anything to hurt us yet."

"'Cept for my wing," grumbled Rainbow under her breath.

"It seems we have reached an agreement." A three dimensional image of an infantile, even somewhat cute, hippogriff appeared on the floor before them. "I shall begin my tale as my first guardian always began her's: Once upon a bye, before your grandfather's grandfather was born..."

Comments

[FuriousDarkness]

"I suppose we could give it shot. And I should be able to tell if'n he's lying."

You missed an "a" between it and shot.

And what's an "if'n"?

[midworld1999]

2289178 Thanks for the tip, I fixed it. Also, "if'n" is supposed to identify that Applejack is speaking. I was trying to mimic her southern accent and mannerisms.